


The Set It Up AU No One Asked For

by beautiful_as_endless



Category: Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018), Heneral Luna (2015)
Genre: Multi, i love u guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 12:52:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16086500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautiful_as_endless/pseuds/beautiful_as_endless
Summary: Vicente "Vince" Enriquez' life couldn't get any worse. He struggles with a hell boss, envies a best friend with the perfect life, and wishes he could perk up his relationship with his girlfriend. Hatching a scheme with Joven Hernando feels like a breath of fresh air, but is it really prepared for the chain of events that follow?





	The Set It Up AU No One Asked For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Manang is back after a 10-month hiatus!

Vince yawned. Dark brown eyes gazed blearily at the stacks of paperwork laid out on his creaky, two-month-old desk. He stretched his back, careful not to ruffle his pale blue shirt. It was hard to stay awake even if he had slept the morning and most of the afternoon away in preparation for this.

He hated the night shift, hated the proposals he had to sort _for his boss_. It was a thankless job, made even worse by the fact that he had been stuck in it far longer than he ought to be.

His ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. He looked up to see the beauty contributor, Poleng, approaching him with a grin. He noted the smudged red lipstick, the rumpled red blouse, the disheveled hair.

“Hi!” She was greeting him like nothing happened, but her usually husky voice was a oddly high-pitched. “May naligaw ata akong package for review diyan sa desk mo. Di ko kasi mahanap...”

A sigh escaped Vince’s lips as he waved his hand over his desk. “Mukha bang may package dito? Puro proposals ni _Sir_ Aguinaldo yung nasakin.” It came out a little too sharply and he quickly regretted it.

She sucked in her lower lip. “Sorry. Sige, tanong ko nalang kay Serging, baka dun naligaw. Thanks, ha?”

Vince watched her go with another sigh. His gaze lingered until she was on the other side of the glass door. The simple act of turning his eyes back to the papers in front of him felt like a chore. _Wala pa man akong nauumpisahan pero gusto ko nang umuwi_.

He felt like a robot going through the motions, sorting out the proposals that deserved his boss’ attention and what didn’t. It didn’t take too long for the trash bin beside his desk to start overflowing, while the pile left on his table began to dwindle. His surroundings meshed into one hazy blur and he had no idea what time it was anymore.

That was, until he, the bane of Vicente Enriquez II’s existence, housemate, and best friend, showed up.

“Huy.”

Goyong’s shadow darkened the overworked secretary’s desk, looming over Vince with his arms crossed, his perfectly-touseled hair catching the light in a way that it seemed to form a halo. He looked effortlessly good as always in his white button-up shirt, jeans, and that gray sweatshirt wrapped around his waist.

“Anong kailangan mo?” Vince tried to fight back the urge to glare -- and ogle.

With a flick of his hands, he set down a cup of steaming hot coffee on the desk. “Sabi ni Poleng parang wala ka daw sa mood ngayon.”

“Eh ano ngayon kung wala ako sa mood?” A yawn escaped Vince’s lips before he could stop himself. “It’s none of your business.”

Pale fingers nudged the cup gently. “Baka kailangan mo nito. Papunta na daw si Sir Aguinaldo. Kakatawag lang.”

The sharp retort Vince was preparing melted away quickly, replaced by a quiet sort of panic. “Shit.”

“Shit, indeed.” Goyong stepped back and gave him a little nod. “Maiwan na kita ah? Kung may kailangan ka, you know where to look.”

“Thanks, ha?”

Vince waited for Goyong to leave before reluctantly taking a sip. The coffee was the way he wanted it -- milky and sweet with just the slightest hint of bitterness. His old friend still knew him so well.

He finished sifting through the proposals just a few seconds after consuming the last drop of his drink. A quick glance at the clock told him that it’s only been two hours since he clocked in. His eyes already felt so heavy -- it felt like he had been there all night already.

Mr. Aguinaldo arrived not more than five minutes later, his navy dress shirt crisp and immaculate as always. “Enriquez, tapos ka na ba diyan?”

“Yes, sir.” Vince rubbed his eyes. “May kailangan po ba kayo?”

Mr. Aguinaldo flung a wad of bills in front of his secretary. “Mag-order ka sa Empacho -- tatlong order each ng crispy kare kare, sisig, sinigang na lechon, tapos dalawang order ng rice. May meeting kami ng sports team in one and a half hour.”

“Yes, sir.” Vince grabbed his phone wearily. _Buti pa sa mga writers may pakain siya._ His stomach grumbled. He should grab some dinner before he went home at dawn.

* * *

 

He stifled another yawn when he made it to the building lobby to pick up his order. It was mostly empty, save for the disinterested guard, the receptionist, and a jittery, bespectacled young man in a bright green shirt who was engrossed in his phone.

“Nandyan na po ba yung delivery?” he asked the guard.

The guard shrugged. “Hinihintay po kayo sa labas, sir.”

 _Sir_. At least the guard was polite, despite his clear lack of interest in his surroundings. Vince thanked him and scuttled out through the door.

Picking up and paying for the food took him no time at all. Tucking the change in his left-hand pocket instead of his wallet to avoid mixing it up with his money, he hobbled back to the building, pausing briefly to pull out his phone. He began typing a reply to a message from Addie as he walked to the elevator.

The slog back to the office felt like a chore. _Work is work_ , he reminded himself instead.

Mr. Aguinaldo was already waiting in the conference room, seated with two of the sports contributors. He scowled at his secretary. “Bakit antagal mo, Enriquez? Hindi ba kanina ka pa bumaba?”

“I’m sorry.” Vince bit back an angry retort. Checking his watch told him that he had only taken him ten minutes at most to pick up the food. _Di ka pwedeng mawalan ng trabaho, gago._ “Bibilisan ko nalang next time.”

“Siguraduhin mo lang na may next time pa,” Mr. Aguinaldo said with a wave of his hand.

Vince stomped out of the office, trying not to fume. He absolutely hated his job and everything that had to do with it, but he knew he can’t just quit. Getting employed was a bitter challenge, especially for someone who studied in the province.

He had to suck it up until he found a better job.

Goyong intercepted him on the way back to his desk. “May naghahanap sayo.”

“Naghahanap?” Vince frowned. He didn’t have any scheduled meet-ups.

“Di ko rin kilala, pero sabi ni Ate Jules nabanggit yung pangalan mo eh.” Even Goyong’s shrug was effortless and yet still enough to send half the women at work swooning. It was _infuriating_.

Vince ran his fingers through his hair. “Sige, tignan ko nalang anong kailangan. Thanks, ha?”

Goyong smiled. “Always, bro.”

The curly-haired receptionist, Jules, smiled as soon as she saw Vince. “Nasa labas si Mr. Hernando, ayaw daw mag-stay dito eh.”

Vince beamed at her. “No problem. Ako nang bahala.”

He stepped out of the cold office and into the hallway which was a tad more humid and warmer. The green-clad young man from the lobby was waiting for him by the entrance, hastily adjusting his round-rimmed glasses as his gaze focused on Vince. He smiled shyly.

“Mr. Enriquez?”

Vince tilted his head curiously. “Ako nga yun. How can I help you?”

The newcomer whipped out a small black leather wallet. “Nahulog sa lobby nung kinuha mo yung phone mo. Uhm, nakita ko yung company ID mo sa loob s-so eto, ibabalik ko na s-siya.”

“Thanks.” Vince quietly berated himself for his carelessness as he clutched his wallet thoughtfully. He didn’t even notice that it had fallen. “Just call me Vince pala, wag nang Mr. Enriquez.”

The young man gave him a shy little smile. “Joven Hernando.”

Vince noted the lanyard sticking from his new acquaintance’s front pocket. “Employee ka ni Atty. Mabini?”

Joven averted his gaze. “Kaka-start ko lang last week. Ako yung pumalit sa dati niyang secretary. May ibang raket na daw kasi. S-So, ayun. Ako na yung bagong secretary.”

“Good luck.” Vince gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

“Mukhang kailangan ko nga ng good luck.” A nervous little laugh escaped his lips, followed by a tired little sigh that was all too familiar. He brushed some of his hair away from his glasses. “Sige, I have to go na. Baka hinahanap na ako ni Mr. Mabini.”

“Sige. See you around.” Vince watched him go, a little smile of amusement forming on his lips.

He didn’t turn away until Joven was out of sight.

* * *

His head hurt as dawn arrived. No matter how many times he took the night shift, his body _absolutely refused_ to get used to it. He barely had enough energy to put his things together and shuffle out of the office.

Goyong was already waiting at the reception area with Poleng. They didn’t look as disheveled as they did earlier in the shift, thankfully. Vince gave them a nod as he rubbed his eyes, wondering if he won’t crash before he made it home. His eyes felt too heavy. He might not even make it to the lobby at this point.

“Huy, baka magcollapse ka diyan,” Poleng said half-jokingly.

“Tinadtad nanaman kasi siya ng paperwork ni Mr. Aguinaldo. Eh alam mo naman ‘tong si _Enteng._ ” Goyong covered his mouth and snorted. “May old man body na siya, hindi niya kaya yung night shift.”

Vince glared at him. “Old man body mo mukha mo.”

There was a loud jingle as Goyong whipped out his car keys. “Tara, hatid na muna kita sa apartment.”

Vince yawned loudly as he followed the couple out of the office. “May lakad pa kayong dalawa o--”

“No, it’s not a date.” Goyong paused, blinking rapidly as he turned red. “Hindi rin sex session.”

 _Sex session? Yan na tawag diyan ngayon?_ Vince needed a cup of something to snort into, but he wasn’t sure if his arms still had the strength to even carry something else.

He was barely aware of himself anymore by the time he settled on the back seat of Goyong’s car. Goyong and Poleng were still chattering away in front of him as the former revved up the engine. He stretched across the seat, preparing himself for the half-hour ride, when his phone began to ring.

He whipped it out, bleary eyes giving the name on the screen just one quick glance before answering it. “Hey, gorgeous,” he croaked.

“Hi, babe.” Addie’s voice sounded crisp and alert as always. Even a night of grinding before a photoshoot wasn’t enough to deter her. “Musta? Mukhang na-survive mo naman yun night shift.”

Vince felt himself smile. His face felt stiff from scowling through most of the night. “I survived pero _shit_. Di ko to kakayanin araw-araw!”

“You’ll get used to it.” It was so easy to imagine the smirk behind her purr. He felt warm -- _too warm_ \-- all of a sudden. “Ako nga ilang araw nang all-nighter yung galawan...”

“Ikaw, kamusta?”

She laughed. “Matutulog na niyan ako. May event pa ako mamayang 3 PM. Ikaw, pauwi ka na ba?”

“Oo, ihahatid daw ako ni Goyong before ng lakad nila ni Poleng.” Vince tried -- and failed -- to suppress his yawn.

“You sound so tired na,” Addie crooned. “Sige, later nalang. I need to sleep na rin.”

He clutched his phone for a few more seconds after the call, holding it as close as he could in his exhaustion. _Hanggang ganito nalang ba tayo, babe?_

“So, anong kailangan nung naghahanap sa’yo kanina?” Goyong asked, jolting him out of his happy little bubble.

“Ah, si Joven?” Vince perked up, remembering the shy young man. “Nalaglag pala yung wallet ko sa lobby, binalik lang niya sa akin.”

Goyong’s wiggling eyebrows were _too visible_ from the rearview mirror. “Akala ko kung ano na.”

“Babe!” Poleng began laughing for a split second before descending into amused choking coughs. She swatted her boyfriend’s arm lightly. “Mukha nang zombie si Vince oh. ‘Yaan mo nang matulog.”

Goyong pouted. “Sige na nga. Enteng, gisingin ka nalang namin pagdating sa apartment.”

Vince grunted and closed his eyes, letting long-awaited sleep take over him.


End file.
